The Astros have a 15-day exclusive negotiating window with their own free agents and are hoping to get something done soon with Hawkins. Tejada and Valverde will certainly test the free agency waters.

Tejada, Valverde and Hawkins have been classified by the Elias Sports Bureau as Type A free agents, which means simply they are among the best in baseball at their positions. It also means the Astros could receive an additional first-round draft pick next year if they offer them arbitration and they wind up signing with another team.

Of course, offering arbitration is tricky. Tejada made roughly $15 million last season, so if they offer him arbitration and he accepts, he could wind up making a ton of money after leading the team in hits and driving in 86 runs. But if they don’t offer Tejada arbitration and he signs elsewhere, they get nothing.

The same is true with Valverde, who made $8 million last year and is likely headed for a raise. If the Astros offered arbitration to both Valverde and Tejada and they both accept, they could make a combined $25 million next year. That would put a choke hold on the payroll. Houston already owes Lance Berkman, Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee and Kaz Matsui a combined $54.5 million next year, and several players are due for large raises in arbitration.

“We have to keep our eye on both balls,” Astros general manager Ed Wade said. “We have to pay attention to the short term, and if there’s a free agent out there we feel we can’t walk past and is costs us a draft pick then we have to deal with that. At the same time, there’s nothing more valuable to the overall long-term picture than draft picks.

“Whether it’s sacrificing draft picks or picking up additional draft picks by offering salary arbitration and run the risk of having the player accept, we have to evaluate the different variables involved. When it comes down to it, if there’s a Major League free agent we think we can’t live without and we have a chance to sign them and them are faced with losing a second-round pick in the process.”

Elias ranks all Major League players numerically based on their stats from the last two years. The players are grouped by five positions by league – first base/outfield, catcher, second base-shortstop-third base, starting pitching and relief pitching. The top 20 percent at each position are considered Type A free agents, and the next 20 percent are Type B.

Teams that lose a Type A free agent receive the first-round draft pick from next year’s First-Year Player Draft from the signing team (provided it’s not in the Top 15) in addition to a supplemental pick between the first and second round. Teams losing a Type B free agent receive a supplemental pick, with the signing team keeping its draft choice.

The good news for the Astros is their pick in next June’s First-Player Draft is in the first half of first round (No. 8), so they will keep their first-round pick even if they sign a Type A free agent. They would give up their second-round pick instead of their first-round pick in that case.

Teams have until Dec. 1 to offer salary arbitration to their own free agents, and the players have until Dec. 7 to decide if they’re going to accept.

In case you’re wondering, Randy Wolf is a Type A free agent.

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2 Comments

I’ll be happy with just about anyone they sign. It’s been two years since their last big acquisition, and it happens to have been Valverde, who’s now already on his way out! Just get us a halfway decent pitcher with the money Tejada would’ve made and I’ll be happy, Wolf or Garland sounds fine.

Hawkins wants to stay in Houston. I think we will get something worked out with him soon. I would hate to see Houston lose both Valverde and Tejada and get nothing in return for either of them. Valverde has already indicated that he wants to test free agency and has mentioned the Cubs as a team in need of a closer. I think the Astros should take the gamble and offer Valverde arbitration. I believe he will sign elsewhere and the ‘stros will get draft picks. If he does accept arbitration, having Valverde close for the Astros again next year would not be such a bad thing. I don’t think we should offer Tejeda arbitration. He has already indicated that he would like to return to Houston next year so there is little doubt that he would accept. If I understand correctly, the minimum the Astros could offer him in arbitration would be 12 million for next year which would be a 3 million dollar pay cut from 2009. After the year he had I seriously doubt an arbitrator will rule that he should get a pay cut and even if he did, 12 million is way too much for Tejada.

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